"J.A.R.V.I.S., be a dear and put on some music for me?" I asked the AI as I entered my training room.

"Of course, Miss Rivers. Any preferences?"

"Surprise me." I smiled. "But keep the volume low, please."

The song that J.A.R.V.I.S. put on was one that I didn't know—big shocker there. I let it go through the air as background noise as I warmed up my powers. I conjured a fireball, twisting it into the snake I liked to see it take form of. I tried expanding it, making it bigger, hotter. I started to make it circle around me protectively. All right, let's try this.

Focused, I stretched the snake, transforming it into a wall of fire. I watched as the holes were patched, how the fire was slowly scorching the floor. I willed the fire's temperature to lower so that I didn't find myself making a hole in the floor and falling onto the level below.

I kept the circle of fire around me, looking briefly upwards to see the parts coming together, almost like a dome over my head.

The fire grew, coming together in a dome roof over my head. The dull roar canceled out any music I had J.A.R.V.I.S. playing. I smiled in victory. Progress. Real progress.

But my brain decided that the victory was to be short celebrated.

An echo of pain crossed my abdomen, shattering my concentration. I grunted, buckling to my knees, the wall of fire pulling apart and vanishing into the air.

I closed my eyes as reminders came flooding in. The smell of burning oil, smoke, fire, concrete, flesh. People screaming, frantic feet escaping the roaring speeders overhead, full of aliens determined to destroy New York. Those ugly aliens garbed in their native armor, with their other-realm technology, weaponry that could even bring an Asgardian to her knees with one blast.

"Miss Rivers?" I heard J.A.R.V.I.S. inquire.

I was too wrapped up in my memories to respond. My past was pulling me away from reality, determined to keep me in its horrors. I hunched over, grabbing my abdomen, where there was faint scarring from the Chitauri attack. I was vaguely aware of my blonde locks forming curtains around my face.

I didn't feel like the powerful Asgardian I knew myself to be. Memories of battle had crippled me, reduced me to a shivering, whimpering mess. And tried as I did, I couldn't pull myself out. I hadn't had this bad of a reaction with my memories of Loki.

"Sir, would you like me to call an ambulance for Miss Rivers?"

"No, I got her. Hey, Girl on Fire." I felt hands on my shoulders. "Kiara. Come on, look at me."

Slowly, I rose my head, meeting Stark's worried expression. He was kneeling in front of me, hovering like a parent would over their hurting child. "Stark..."

"You're okay," he said gently. "You're safe here."

"I...I don't know what that was." I sucked in a breath. "I-I was practicing, and it just hit me..."

"It's okay." He squeezed one of my shoulders. "I think you should cut this practice short."

"Maybe you're right."

"I know I am." He offered me a small smile. "Come on, you hungry?"

"Truthfully, I feel sick to my stomach." I couldn't forget my pounding head either.

"All right, then let's settle it with some Ginger Ale."

I rose with Stark, cutting my practice short. He kept at my side, escorting me out of the charred, marred training room. We filed into the elevator, and Stark pressed a button. I wasn't paying attention as to where we were going in the tower.

"How is the rebuilding coming along?" I asked.

"It's coming," he said. "It'll look even better when it's finished."

"I have no doubt of that. Will you be throwing a huge party to celebrate its completion?"

"I wouldn't be me if I didn't, Kia."

Though I was looking straight ahead at the elevator's closed doors, from the corner of my eye, I saw Stark still holding concern in his brown eyes.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I will be." I exhaled. "It was just...I don't know what that was. Bad memory cropping up at the worst time, I suppose." I shrugged. "It shouldn't happen again." Hopefully.

Once the elevator dinged and the doors opened, I followed Stark to the kitchen, which I had never seen until today. He went to open the fridge while I took up a stool at the small island in the kitchen. I messed with my fingers, barely acknowledging Stark grabbing me something to drink.

I pulled out my phone, debating on whether or not Todd needed to know about today's happening. Do I need to worry him right now? He's at work. He doesn't need the added stress right now. I sat my phone next to me.

"Here ya go, Kia." Stark pushed a bubbling drink my way.

I took a long, slow sip. "Thank you." Stark leaned over the island's counter, eyes scrutinizing me. I blinked, my brows coming over my eyes. "Do you need something?"

"No, I'm just thinking. You don't have an alter ego outfit."

I snorted. "Really? I just had an episode of whatever that was, and you're thinking about my lack of alter ego outfit?" I took another sip of the Ginger Ale. The knot in my stomach was going away, but the echo of pain in my abdomen wasn't fading as quickly.

"Think about it, Kia. Steve's got his spangly outfit, I've got the Iron Man suit, and Thor has his getup."

"What about Banner, Romanoff, and Barton?"

"Well, the only outfit Banner needs is those pants when the big guy comes out. I don't really question Barton's or Romanoff's fashion choices."

"I had that outfit that S.H.I.E.L.D. lent me," I reminded Stark.

"But that got mangled, if you remember." Stark's lips quirked into a thinking pose. "If I don't get my hands on it, I'll get someone on it. Cynder needs a personalized look."

I could admit, I loved the sound of my superhero name. Cynder. It was unique, definitely not taken (as far as I was aware). That was what the world knew me as alongside the Avengers (yes, this had happened after I had told a certain blabber mouth—aka, Tony Stark, who in turn told—I'm sorry—"accidentally let slip" my superhero name to the press).

I wondered what people thought about me. Did they put me on a godly pedestal, like they did Thor? Did they view me as some sort of experiment like Steve or Banner? I was certainly not on the same level as Romanoff or Barton. I had powers, they had natural, non-elemental talent. You either had natural talent or you taught it to yourself, there was no in-between.

"Yeah, well, regardless of who makes it, I get some say. Maybe all Cynder needs is a S.H.I.E.L.D. outfit and a mask to hide her identity."

"A mask?" Stark grimaced. "You mean like a mask that just covers your eyes? Yeah, because that's guaranteeing your identity safety. It's about as lame as putting glasses on and calling that your disguise."

"I'm sure masks have done that before, kept identities hidden." I sniffed.

"Yeah, in movies and comics were people are too dumb to make the obvious connections." Stark rolled his eyes. He nodded towards the drink. "That helping your stomach any?"

"A little bit." I took another drink. "Have you kept in touch with the others lately?"

"Not much."

"Not even Banner?" I raised an eyebrow. "I thought you guys were all about being science brethren or whatever it was you were going on about."

"Science bros, Kiara." Stark chuckled. "There's still some Asgardian in you, it comes out every now and again."

"But you haven't kept in touch with him? I'm surprised."

"He found other things to do." Stark shrugged. "Keeps him busy, keeps him out of harm's way, that sort of deal."

I frowned slightly. Dr. Bruce Banner and I were the least bonded out of all of the Avengers. I had very little interaction with him when we were all recruited for the stop-Loki cause. I'd seen Dr. Banner in action, and boy, nobody needed to mess with him. It didn't matter if you were Midgardian or Asgardian, the Hulk was much stronger, capable of easily killing you.

I knew why Dr. Banner kept his distance: he wasn't the type to go looking for trouble. He was the kind of person who tried to avoid conflict as much as possible. The less he was involved with conflict, the better. I couldn't imagine going on with my life, knowing that if I went over the edge I would transform into this entirely different person—if the Hulk was considered a person to anyone.

"But I do hear from him once in a while," Stark admitted. "It'd be nice to get the gang back together, just for old times' sake."

"You mean for a regular gathering, not to save the world again, right?" My phone vibrated. It was Steve, and I snickered at his attempt at a text message. Like me, he was still trying to become a master. Unlike me, he wasn't succeeding very much.

"Who's that? Stalker?"

"No, it's Steve."

"What's he want?"

"Just checking in, see what's going on." With one finger, I typed back a response and sent it.

"It's weird, seeing you so adapted to technology." Stark's eyes bugged a little.

"Some things I learn quicker."

My phone went off again. Another message: Did you want to get together and do something? I pursed my lips, thinking.

"What does Capsicle want?"

I typed back: Name something, a day, and a time, and I'm yours.

"Oooh, am I sensing some flirting going on?" Stark teased.

I looked at him. "No flirting to be found, Stark. Steve and I are friends."

"You know I don't believe that." Stark put his hands together. "I'll say it now, there's something there with you two. I saw it from the time we met."

I snorted. "You're mad. We were strangers then."

"All right, fine. Then I saw it when he offered you a ride home."

"Stark, I'm sure that's in his nature. He's a nice guy, very chivalrous. He's the type of person who would do selfless things for strangers that he doesn't know. He kind of has to, being Captain America and all. Has an image to maintain."

"Yeah, in the spangly suit, not outside of it."

My phone went off again. Message: Little road trip? I'll drive.

My response: Sounds like a plan. Pick a day and we'll do it.

"Hey!" I squealed as Stark lunged across the island counter and swiped my phone from me. I pushed aside my half-empty Ginger Ale, sliding across the island counter. Stark maneuvered away from me as I tried to get my phone back. "That's private!"

"This is why you lock your phone with a good password before people snatch it so this doesn't happen."

"You would somehow try to hack into it anyway!" I grabbed Stark's arm. "Hand it over or I burn you."

"Hostile, Girl on Fire, hostile. I won't send anything, I just want to browse."

"You don't have a right to!" I reached for my phone, which Stark kept out of my reach.

"Oooh, you two are going on a date!"

"Stark!"

"What? I think it's adorable." Stark let me snatch my phone back. "The Asgardian and the Star Spangled Man with a Plan. It's a great pairing."

"Say what you want, it's not a...a date or anything. He's not courting me." I looked at the message from Steve: Well, my schedule's pretty open. He even added a smiley face.

"Oh, no, Kia, that's courting. He used that emoji." Stark leaned over my shoulder, I nudged him away.

"Believe what you want. It's just two friends spending time together."

"Hey, since you're here, did you want to stay for dinner? I'm sure Pepper would love to see you."

"I'll stay only if you don't say anything about this. No teasing, no hints of it, nothing."

"Why, Kia?" Stark pouted. "Is it because I'm right?"

"No, it's because it's annoying." I pulled up Todd's number and sent him a message, saying that I would be home later because of the invitation.

"Extend the invite to Fanboy too."

I groaned. "Todd. Todd is his name, Stark."

** I never expected a TonyxKia friendship to blossom. In a way, he's like the brother she never had.

Oh, and speaking of Tony, think he's trying to play matchmaker to a lost ship?**